Why They Fought
by silver moonwings
Summary: Every Titan had a reason for fighting - a reason that was worth dying for.


**AN: So, uh, most of this was written at 2 am after not writing anything for a _long_ time. The result was... this. ...Stop judging me.**

**Disclaimer: If you haven't already guessed, I do not own Teen Titans in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Robin was the first to go. He'd lost everything once, and he'd sworn he would never let that happen again. So when he saw the bullet heading towards Beast Boy, he didn't even think. He didn't need to. If Beast Boy died, if he lost his family one more time, he knew his mind would never make it through unshattered. The bullet entered his heart before he even knew what he was doing. He was the Boy Wonder. He wasn't supposed to be afraid of dying. But he'd never wanted to die. At times, he had even thought he was invincible. But he was only human, and he was dying, and for once in his life, he was truly scared. But one look at Beast Boy was enough to remind him why he fought.

So that he would never have to watch his precious people die again.

* * *

Beast Boy went next. Robin had given his life for him, but he still had a job to do, and nothing was going to stop him. The girl was no more than five or six; her mother was trying desperately to shield her from harm. He saw the man move, saw the blade slicing through the air, and he moved. A dark green peregrine falcon dove from the rooftops, streaking towards the ground. The blade was only inches away from the mother's cowering form when he reached them. There was no time to attack, only to block. He changed back into a human and rose up from his crouch, felt the blade slice through his flesh, tearing through his uniform and staining his green skin scarlet. The world was quickly fading to black, the street rushing up to meet him. But he had no regrets; he knew why he fought.

So that no one would ever have to bear the weight of their parents' deaths like him.

* * *

Starfire died for her best friend, and that was enough for her. The Gordanians had returned after four years, not to reclaim their prize but to take revenge. Friend Raven had fought by her side, yet she could do nothing but watch as her friend was beaten down by the overwhelming numbers of aliens and dragged away. She swore she would save Friend Raven, no matter the cost. When the Gordanians made their terms known, she did not hesitate. Friend Raven's freedom, for her life. She gladly walked into their scaled arms. The golden trident pierced through her bare stomach and scorching pain coursed through her body, but despite everything, she was happy, because she still remembered why she fought.

So that she could one day repay the kindness that her friends and Earth had taught her.

* * *

Raven left the world as a protector. For so long she had kept to herself, lived only for herself. She'd never known the happiness that could come only from being with others. She'd thought she'd known her destiny, but she'd never thought that this was how it would all end, a creature of darkness bringing someone back into the light. And yet somehow, that was alright with her, because it was her friends that had shown her how to truly live. The others had already passed on; the only person she had left in the world was Cyborg. So when Cyborg lay at her feet within an inch of death, she did the only thing she could do, because she was terrified. She poured the last of her energy into the cyborg, praying to a god she'd never believed in for the stab wound to heal, willing the dark energy to finally do something good for once in her life, feeling her own light dimming within her. She was being selfish, she knew. But at least this time, she wasn't the only one who won. The light was dimming fast; her time was almost up. It was fitting, she thought. She had been born in darkness, and in darkness she would die. But in the very end, she wanted him to know the truth about why she fought.

So that she would never have to be alone again.

* * *

Cyborg was the last to go. He'd always thought of himself as a survivor. He had been experimented on, mauled by a monster, had half his body replaced by cold machinery, but still he had survived, even when all he wanted was to die. It didn't save him from the car hurtling down the road, the car that slammed into his body with enough force to topple an elephant. Not even his machines could save him this time. Everything had been instantly destroyed: his bones crushed, his cybertronics shattered. The boy he had pushed out of the way was sprawled on the sidewalk, staring at him with wide, horrified eyes. He hadn't really had time to think, he'd just reacted. If the boy hadn't died from being hit, he would have lost his legs, or an arm. He would have been crippled for life, forced to live life as an outcast. All he could do was switch places with him: the boy's life in exchange for his. He didn't have much time left, he knew. His mind was shutting down, unable to support his life any longer, even with some of the most advanced technology in the world embedded in his body. But at the very least, he knew his life had been worth something after all, because he'd never forgotten why he fought.

So that others might have a chance at a normal life.


End file.
